Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar

Born:

December 22, 1887, Erode, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)

Died:

April 26, 1920, Chetput, Madras, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)

Nationality:

Indian

Profession(s):

Mathematician

Early Life and Education

• Ramanujan displayed prodigious mathematical abilities from a young age.
• He primarily self-studied mathematics, often mastering advanced concepts without formal training.
• He was awarded a scholarship to Government Arts College, Kumbakonam, but lost it due to neglecting other subjects in favor of mathematics.
• His mathematical work initially went largely unnoticed in India.
• It is interesting to note that, in searching for a concise summary, one might consider something like a 'one page biography ramanujan pi' to quickly access the vital information.

Career and Major Achievements

• In 1913, he began corresponding with G.H. Hardy, a prominent mathematician at the University of Cambridge.
• Hardy recognized Ramanujan's exceptional talent and invited him to Cambridge.
• He spent five years at Cambridge, collaborating with Hardy and Littlewood.
• Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918, becoming the second Indian to achieve this honor.
• Elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, also in 1918.

Notable Works

• Made substantial contributions to number theory, infinite series, mathematical analysis, and continued fractions.
• Discovered and proved numerous identities and equations, often with little or no formal proof provided initially.
• His notebooks contain thousands of results, many of which have been rigorously proven by later mathematicians.

Legacy and Impact

Ramanujan's work continues to inspire mathematicians and researchers today. His contributions have had a lasting impact on number theory and related fields. Many of his findings are used in various areas of physics and computer science.

Notable Works

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